


Four times Thomas Jefferson was angry about neutral pronouns. And four times he wasn't.

by TheonethingIcancontrol (Calire)



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Fluff, Internalized Transphobia, M/M, Nonbinary Character, Personal Growth, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-22
Updated: 2016-09-22
Packaged: 2018-08-16 18:06:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8112163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calire/pseuds/TheonethingIcancontrol
Summary: He put the phone away just in time to look up at Thomas snorting “I can’t believe you ascribe to those bullshit pronouns. And don’t give me the ‘it’s correct’ line… I don’t care how correct it is, people aren’t neuter, they’re either men or women.”Alex had to roll his eyes and shifted so that his head was on the pillow, level with Thomas’ “Don’t be rude, asshole.” he scolded with a frown “Just because you don’t understand something it doesn’t mean that it’s invalid.” he muttered.





	

Alex was draped over Thomas chest even as he spoke on the phone, playing idly with a patch of curls that trailed down from his navel. Thomas’ hand was in his hair in turn, it was nice after how rough they had been with each other.  
“Yes, I know Pierre’s birthday is coming, I don’t have the slightest idea what they might like, sorry? … Yes we’re close, but I don’t know what they might need… Fine, I’ll try to see if I can get some ideas. Gotta go now, Laf… Bye.”

He put the phone away just in time to look up at Thomas snorting “I can’t believe you ascribe to those bullshit pronouns. And don’t give me the ‘it’s correct’ line… I don’t care how correct it is, people aren’t neuter, they’re either men or women.”

Alex had to roll his eyes and shifted so that his head was on the pillow, level with Thomas’ “Don’t be rude, asshole.” he scolded with a frown “Just because you don’t understand something it doesn’t mean that it’s invalid.” he muttered.

Thomas was scowling as he shifted and got onto his side, wrapping an arm around Alex’s waist “That’s not the point, Hamilton. But it’s complete nonsense. You braid your hair sometimes and Lafayette uses nail polish on occasion, but neither of you ask for the neuter stuff. It’s stupid and it’s a way to draw attention on oneself.” he insisted as Alex raised his eyebrow.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Thomas. Either you’re willing to listen or this conversation ends here and we can go back to insulting each other.”

Thomas sighed at that and ducked his head to nip at Alex’s collarbone “Pretentious know-it-all.” he muttered.

* * *

 

I want to look stuff up. -TJ

 

And it has to do with me because… -AH

 

About the neutral stuff. -TJ

 

I’ll send you a file dump on your email! Ask if you don’t get something. -AH

 

I’m sure I’ll be perfectly able to understand English, Hamilton. -TJ

 

Salty much?- AH

 

Don’t make me change my mind. -TJ

 

No no, there you go! Sent. -AH

 

Thank you. -TJ

* * *

 

It was dark this time, Alex had his face pressed against Thomas chest, his body melting in the aftercare even as his ass was smarting and had already bruised. He was present to himself though, just dozing and clinging to the solid wall of muscle that was his partner.

“It still doesn’t make sense.” he heard Thomas mutter and if he didn’t know who he was clinging to he would have sworn he heard a quiver in those words.

Alex stayed quiet though, he simply curled his fingers, moving his hand up and down along the man’s spine to show that he was listening.

“I was uncommon as a kid. I still am uncommon. But you don’t hear me going around asking people to go out of their way just because I’m uncommon!”

He was truly getting upset now, and like every time getting upset meant that Thomas would get angry.

Alex flexed his arm to keep him close but just replied quietly “Maybe you should, then.”

Thomas tensed under him and went quiet, breathing into Alex’s hair for almost a full minute.

“It doesn’t make sense. I’m uncommon, that’s it.” he murmured again and Alex finally pulled back to look up at Thomas “You’re saying that like it’s a bad thing.” he smiled.

Thomas bumped their foreheads together “Shut up.” he muttered.

* * *

 

The third time around they were in the bathtub and Thomas was spooning Alex, running his fingernails lightly up and down his chest as they unwinded after a particularly long day.   
Alex’s head was resting on Thomas shoulder, his eyes half closed.

“Would something change between us? If I weren’t just uncommon?”

Alex opened his eyes and smiled at him like he did every time Thomas wanted to really listen to him on a difficult issue “Would you want something to change?”  
Thomas shook his head with a frown “No! You’re mine.” he almost growled, his nails sinking more in the skin for a moment.

“But?” Alex encouraged him.

“If nothing changes between us and I’m still topping you… Do I really get to ask _that_?”

Alex leaned forward and kissed his jaw lightly “How you like to fuck has very little to do with it.”

Thomas was quiet again and Alex took his time peppering his jaw and neck with kisses, his fingers trailing on his thighs gently, sloshing the water around, until he heard his voice again “Would you help me try stuff?”

“Anytime, gorgeous.”

* * *

  
  
It was fun to learn Thomas had always loved skirts because they looked just so comfortable, to hear just how much he loved interior design, to find out he liked to be the one braiding Alex’s hair.     
It was much less fun to mix those traits with his strict upbringing. He was an uncommon kid. He liked lilac and purple. He wanted his hair curly and soft. He liked to keep his room neat and to find pretty things to add to it. He found his Sunday best suffocating. He had a lisp.

His parents and his classmates couldn’t forgive any of it. He was uncommon, he was someone to whisper about and point at.

He had curbed it in time, reduced everything to easily explained quirks of a rich person.   
Was it so hard to imagine that he’d get mad at someone who would proudly wear their queerness out and about, unapologetically demanding respect for their “uncommon” nature?  

So it was hard and painful and rewarding helping him find his balance out of the box he’d been shoved in, helping him decide how he would describe himself.  

It kept happening in bursts, he’d find something to try and proceed to get upset about it, Alex (and later Pierre) would find a way to guide him back to it, he’d try it, hate it and then Alex would find himself in the uncommon position of refusing him sex when it would become a way to angrily shove himself back in the box. It was the least he could do, Thomas would do the same for him. Days later he’d declare whether he was going to adopt it or not.

* * *

 

 

Alex was sitting on the floor typing with the laptop on the coffee table and Thomas was draped dramatically on the sofa behind him reading a book, his flowy dark purple skirt only helping the dramatic arrangement.  
Alex knew another burst was about to happen when he heard the book drop on his chest.

“So how it would feel if I did get you and Pierre to use a neutral language?”

“Hold that thought, gorgeous…” Alex muttered, typing faster to finish the sentence and then pulling away his hands from the keyboard. He rested his head back but didn’t look at Thomas yet “I don’t know, wanna try?”

“I think it would feel weird. No.” he had tensed though and Alex shifted until he could press a kiss to his forearm. “Okay.”

It was barely a moment before Thomas threaded his fingers through Alex’s hair and pulled, but Alex was ready and his hand was quick to grab Thomas wrist firmly. His muscles went slack again and they exchanged a glance.

“You already do it, don’t you?” Thomas frowned.

Alex trailed his fingers lightly down his arm “I use the pronouns you prefer, but I try to avoid gendered terms.” he admitted.

The silence stretched a little longer between them now “I like it when you use gorgeous.” he confessed in the end, then his gaze lightened up “Stop using oldy though. I swear old man is fine.” he grinned, pulling Alex up by the arm and shifting until they could both fit if they cuddled tight enough.

Alex laughed and pressed a kiss to his lips “Your wish is my command.”

“Mh, careful what you say, Hamilton…”

* * *

 

 

“Have a conversation about me. Use they.” Thomas drawled from the armchair where he was reading his paper.

Alex and Pierre looked up from the document they were working on together and the older one frowned “You do know we are working, right?”

“I’m bored.” he whined

Alex shot back “Entertain yourself.”

The devilish grin in Thomas’ eyes let Alex know he had chosen the wrong words so he hurried to amend “Non-sexually!”

At that Thomas gasped, pressing a hand to his chest and jutting out his chin, affronted “Who do you think I am?! We have a guest!” he protested, but the grin was back immediately “Come here, I wanna do your hair.”

Alex groaned even as Pierre was bent over laughing, but they moved their work station so that Thomas could play with Alex’s hair.

Before getting back to work Pierre smiled warmly up at Thomas “We’ll do it later.”

* * *

 

 

It was a chilly morning, Alex’s hands were still freezing but he’d set down his bag in the bullpen and walked to the office to greet Thomas and get him the rundown of the day.   
They were always discreet at work, so Alex was more than a little surprised when Thomas kissed him firmly the moment the office door closed, an arm wrapped tightly around his waist and then declared “Just he is fine.” he grinned, enjoying the congratulatory kiss from Alex but stopping him before he could add to that, his arm releasing him gently “Wait…” a deep breath as one would take before diving “I want to come out.” another pause “With you, if you’ll have me as your partner...”   
Alex stared at him for a few seconds, an incredulous smile on his lips, looking for words that wouldn’t come. He got on his tiptoes and pressed their lips together.   
It was enough for Thomas.

  


**Author's Note:**

> First time writing a nonbinary character and I'm pretty anxious about it! I hope it wasn't too boring or something idk, let me know what you think!  
> The fic is not beta'd so any mistake is mine and I apologize if I inadvertly used gendered terms when I shouldn't have, but English isn't my first language as such I might have missed something!


End file.
